President Donald Trump and SIM International have announced that American missionary pilot Kevin Rideout has been freed after being abducted in Niger last October.
“Kevin Rideout, a wonderful Christian Missionary, is back in United States Custody,” President Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Friday morning after initial reports of Rideout’s release emerged, citing unnamed officials.
“Kevin was kidnapped by Jihadi terrorists in West Africa — The epicenter of Islamist terrorism, where there have been more deadly attacks in the past year than anywhere else on Earth.”
“The United States of America looks forward to welcoming you HOME,” the president said.
SIM International also confirmed Rideout’s release Friday, saying its “good friend and brother in Christ, Kevin Rideout, has been released after over nine months in captivity.” The organization said Rideout was abducted outside his home in Niamey, Niger, on Oct. 21, 2025.
“Kevin is in good health in the care of US officials,” SIM International stated. “He will soon be reunited with Krista, his children, and his extended family. Krista and the rest of Kevin’s family are profoundly grateful for the prayers offered on their behalf by people around the world throughout his captivity, and in particular for the deep level of prayer and support offered by our SIM family.”
The organization asked that the family’s “privacy of the family while they reconnect after this time apart” be respected and invited Christians around the world to “join us in giving thanks to the Lord for this incredibly good news!”
Rideout is the second American citizen held overseas whose captivity ended this week.
The White House and State Department announced Tuesday that Russia had released former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman after four years in prison. Gilman returned to the United States and arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that evening.
According to State Department figures, 109 Americans “held abroad as hostages, wrongful detainees, or under concerning circumstances” have returned home since the second Trump administration began on Jan. 20, 2025.
